Charity worker left scarred for life 'let down by courts' as attacker walks free

A charity fund-raiser who had a brick slammed into her face has hit out at the justice system as her attacker walked free from court. Angela Gray, 44, was left permanently scarred in the unprovoked attack by 20-year-old Jade Daniels. Now Mrs Gray, from Urmston, says she feels she has been attacked twice – ‘once by her, and once by the judicial system’.

A charity fund-raiser who had a brick slammed into her face has hit out at the justice system as her attacker walked free from court.

Angela Gray, 44, was left permanently scarred in the unprovoked attack by 20-year-old Jade Daniels.

Now Mrs Gray, from Urmston, says she feels she has been attacked twice – ‘once by her, and once by the judicial system’.

Mrs Gray was attacked while she was walking with her daughter in woodland near Dutton’s Pond in Flixton, in March last year.

Daniels, of Arundel Avenue, Urmston, ‘slammed’ a brick into Mrs Gray’s face, breaking her nose and wrist, and splitting her lip leaving her with a permanent scar.

She initially pleaded guilty to wounding with intent – but the charge was downgraded to the less serious offence of unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm after Daniels was diagnosed with ‘high-functioning autism’.

As she had been in custody for around 15 months – longer than the statutory prison sentence for the assault – she was released following a hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Gray said the ordeal had been made worse by having to wait 18 months for her attacker to be sentenced.

She said: "It feels like you get attacked twice – once by her, and once by the judicial system.

"She has walked away from court but I will never be able to walk away from what happened. Never. I don’t feel safe knowing she’s out there and I don’t think anyone else should."

Reliving the attack, Mrs Gray said: "We ran up a hill and saw that a large bush had been set on fire, and there was a girl and a boy just looking at it.

"The boy ran away but the girl just stood there and watched us trying to put it out. We managed to stamp it out and we called the fire brigade to let them know.

"There were matches on the floor so I picked them up.¿She started shouting at me to give them back. She followed us and at first we just ignored her.

"She picked up a brick and I told her not to be ridiculous and to put it down. She ran at me like a child would, as if to scare me, but I stood my ground.

"I turned away and I heard her coming at me again. As I turned back she hit me full in the face and knocked me off my feet."

Daniels was arrested after Mrs Gray and her husband later spotted her at a bus stop and called the police.

Daniels, who has convictions for harassment and criminal damage, had been released after attacking Mrs Gray, but was taken into custody for breach of bail conditions.

Just weeks after the attack she carried out a campaign of harassment against a pensioner that included sending 13 takeaways to his home in one night.

Mrs Gray, 44, who is fundraising manager at Beechwood Cancer Care in Stockport, also suffered permanent nerve damage to her face, and has had a number of operations.

Judge Peter Lakin said it was clear Daniels’ autism was the ‘driving force’ behind the offence.

He said: "I must ensure as far as I can that no one else is subjected by you to the type of offence that Mrs Gray has suffered.

"This attack has had both a physical and psychological impact on Mrs Gray, and I suspect that she will live with the memory of what happened for the rest of her life."

He ordered that Daniels be made the subject of a three-year community order.

The judge also ordered probation to provide him with regular reports on Daniels’ progress, and imposed an order preventing her from contacting Mrs Gray or her daughter. He warned Daniels she would be jailed without hesitation if she breached the order or failed to co-operate with treatment.